Weekend Question: Which RTS series deserves a comeback?

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Zoid

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A friend and I have always thought that a new Age of Mythology game would be awesome. The concept is so cool, and given todays technology, a new entry would be amazing.
Rise of Nations. Perhaps one of my favorite RTS games and one that only spawned an additional expansion. I think it's well worth bringing back for a sequel with a proper campaign!
I came to this thread looking for these two in particular. Two wonderful RTS games with their own unique concepts. I would buy new versions of these in a heartbeat.

Luckily they're both still playable and supported, and thank's to RoN's great hi-res art style it still actually looks pretty good. There are just so many places that these games could go.
 
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MaddMann

A nerd that found his place
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Jan 17, 2020
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With the new Dune movie coming out, maybe we can get a refresh on the old Dune games? If not, lets get a remastered Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun. It also seems like they can still keep their terrible way of "milking people for money instead of just purchasing a finished project" by somewhat replicating what COH did with cosmetic purchases and some generals. Though I love a good old fashioned comp stomp with lots of base building.

For now, my favorite "strategy" game is split between Factorio and Total War Warhammer II
 
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There are a fair few i want to see back but the main 2:

World in Conflict is probably my top one. Its one of the few RTS games that i ACTUALLY enjoyed. It did away with the base building, research or tedious resource gathering as it slowly ticked along naturally. Just me with the strategy gaming without the need to memorize a ton of buttons that irked me in other strategy games. Additionally the missions were reasonably bite sized too, taking less than an hour to complete even the later missions. Compared to other RTS games missions later on would take me several hours of slowly grinding down the enemy usually by building a load of siege units. Throw in a well delivered story and missions sort of had a narrative progression besides "kill everything to win" it was capture this, hold that, rescue general etc. Plus it felt like you were part of a bigger battle with AI fighting elsewhere on the map.

I could go on, but one last thing i watched a few Multiplayer games and it looked jolly entertaining.


Ok... what other ones? Command and conquer deserved better. yeah we getting a remaster etc, but its nothing like the early days. i blame EA. As others have mentioned bring back Generals.
 
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Jan 17, 2020
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RTS games are my favorite. I can't wait for AoE 4 and C&C Remastered. As for new games and what do i like in a RTS game? Just basically cool units and great fun. I think C&C tried to think to much about changing the game. Make more of whats great. C&C Generals is an example of coming up with a new RTS that was a blast to play yet similar game vs the tiberium sun expansions that just got stupid. I love Starcraft 2, but honestly there were too many units that had too many special abilities for gamers over 40 lol. I'd love to see a Warcraft 2 remake.

I don't believe they need to re-create the wheel. Modern games with cool units, and upgrades that have impact, and 4k graphics is all i need. Making decisions to go down this path to get this particular unit and upgrade vs that path. Its the strategies and players that make a RTS game great, their use of the units, not the complexity, or oddity, of the game. Being able to sneak a transport full of engineers into a base, which can turn the tide, while distracting your opponent with a an attack somewhere else, thats what makes the game great. That doesn't mean having a unit that can merge with another to form some new super cool unit isn't desired.

Make a game with 3 factions with unique units and playstyles with equal chance of winning. Don't get caught up in your lore. Don't be afraid to end a franchise for a new beginning. We didn't need a Dune 3, we needed the bold decision of Dune 2 --> CnC, Warcraft 2 --> Starcraft. What makes these games different? Aren't they the same basic game with different units and strategies? What about a C&C game that goes thru ages like AoE's? Or an Orcs vs Humans that transforms into a Terran vs ? as you upgrade over time. It can't be that hard to come up with great new RTS games.

If its a $ thing, add skins you can buy, etc, or other non-game impacting things we can purchase. I don't know what the issue is, i am thinking it is just about $. All of my favorite Tower Defense games on mobile devices aren't even playable on the latest generation devices. Its very sad :( Lets show them we are out here!
 
Jan 16, 2020
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The most worthy RTS for a resurrection slot would have to be Bungie's two MYTH: THE FALLEN LORDS games. Cel-animated cartoon cutscenes, a darker storyline than Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time yet not as rapey as Game of Thrones (actually, the storyline was fairly transparently lifted from Glen Cook's "Godfather of all Grimdark Genre" novels about the Black Company).

But what I loved most about it (aside from the Grenadier Dwarves who, it should be noted, care not for aiming their grenades and are not a reliable troop) was that there was NO BASE BUILDING. You had your straggling, harried troops, you had your level objectives, and the enemy was out there somewhere in great numbers closing in. So it didn't have the deeply layered strategy of say, Sins of a Solar Empire or even C & C, but you could jump right in and there were always multiple solutions to winning, or at least surviving, any given level. MYTH was released with an open engine for modding, and the MYTH 2 Gold edition (or whatever they called it) came with some of the best mods ready to play, and having just gone back and checked, I'm astounded at how large some of them are in comparison to the base game. Kind of like what I've found with the mods available for Shadowrun--Dragonfall.

But yeah, no base building. Ain't got no time to watch goblins chop wood.
 
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Jan 18, 2020
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Supreme Commander! With more complexity such as research and designing custom experimental weapons. Online bases that consume whole planets and wars that can last days or weeks! Battles that are not necessarily fought over your main base but a location that has something that the ensuing parties want (resources, a new planet to colonize, etc). Finding another players base should be a long arduous task. Many more options available but I'm not getting paid.
Regards Las Vegas
 
Jan 19, 2020
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Did you guy ever played game Tooth and Tail yet? It's a good example of innovative and adaptation RTS genre controller, i think it showing how to set RTS into mobile how to jump out from mouse and keyboard. T&T may not has deep strategy as it should but it gave you a fresh idea of map and fresh gameplay idea that RTS could be. You can play only one commander unit to move around and commanding your troop through out the position of your commander.

Another recommend good RTS free game in steam that you should play is Zero-k. Zero-k had develope for long long time ago. Game may look-alike total annihilation or supreme commander genre but just the skin of the game. The game is go further than that a lot. It has a good customise game design for each individual player. You can customise many thing in the game as player should have to please their own style of game playing such as interface gameplay, unit behave, or even map terrain while playing.(for some fantasy strategy you could never thought in other RTS game)
 

MindlessMe

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Obligatory C&C. In all honesty I would love to see a return of Warcraft. I know there's the new "Reforged" coming out but it's a remaster of the old game. I would like to see new storyline in the RTS Warcraft.
 
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Jan 19, 2020
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If I had to pick one it would be Total Annihilation: Kingdoms. I know, you might say that there are plenty of fantasy games out there and that TA (the robot one) already has many spiritual successors. What I like about TA:K is the setting and the scale. It marries the ponderous and extreme scales of TA, where cannons can fire across several screens, with the kinds of interesting factions and units available to a fantasy setting. I've also got to agree with Warlords Battlecry, perhaps I just like mythology.

Populous: The Beginning is another old gem that could be interesting to revisit.
 
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Jan 19, 2020
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Supreme Commander! With more complexity such as research and designing custom experimental weapons. Online bases that consume whole planets and wars that can last days or weeks! Battles that are not necessarily fought over your main base but a location that has something that the ensuing parties want (resources, a new planet to colonize, etc). Finding another players base should be a long arduous task. Many more options available but I'm not getting paid.
Regards Las Vegas
Las Vegas, i recommend Zero-k free game which develope by TA fangame. Its has an intense micro unit and macro resource management and expanding base positioning RTS style. Example how do you defend the gigacannon fire across the map, build a barrier, cloaking field hiding from radar( radar has it range in sphere radial and can blocked by terrain which never found in other RTS game), you can also lift up terrain as a wall or dig down the building to hiding from projectile cannon.

The resource management also improve many way deep down by timing. It isn't just a node but it's about timing and risky invest and return. Metal node can overcharge and give a bonus resource by surplus of energy generating which use metal time and area arrangement to create a better energy power plant which risk by explosive of itself as a strategic point increase dynamic of the game more than just racing to a bigger gun in TA.
 
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Jan 20, 2020
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Hey

I know this is old. But I loved Krush kill and destroy. It was my favourite and still is. Still have the original discs somewhere. Not sure how good it was back in the day. I played it the 1st time in 2001 and loved it.

Yeah maybe just a remake would be awesome the graphix sucks compared to todays games. But the getting through a mission was a very hard battle.
 
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If I had to pick one it would be Total Annihilation: Kingdoms. {...}
My, oh my.. Total Annihilation: Kingdoms. I absolutely loved this game back in the day. The way the campaign had you jumping back and forth between factions all the time was just inspired. No longer were you just siding with one nation all the time. You could find yourself building coastal fortifications with one faction during a mission, only to bombard them from the seas with another faction the next. It all looked incredible for its time, too. All unites rendered in full 3D, with particles flying everywhere. My dad's computer almost kicked the bucket playing this but I loved every second of it!

As for an RTS series that I would like to see return to its former glory: Commandos. Lawdy lawd, these games were so good! Commandos 2 is getting an HD remaster this month, but even though I really enjoyed that game back in the day, I have a particular fondness for the original. It seemed a bit more focused and almost puzzle-like in its elegant simplicity, whereas the sequel kind of felt a bit bloated. It was still impressive, but nothing will ever beat that feeling of using just the Spy and the Green Beret to blow up a radar station and then escaping by helicopter in mission 5. Or what about using a single sniper bullet to blow up the Germans' entire oil supply in mission 8?

I have so many fond memories of this game and all the 'aha!' moments it gave me that I think we're long overdue for a sequel. A proper sequel.
 
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